A Far Green Country
by 23immortalimp07
Summary: The attack on the Jedi Temple in Revenge of the Sith from the point of view of a female Jedi who was a friendrival of Anakin's.


**This is a fanfic I have been working on for some time. This chapter can stand on it's own but it was meant to be the final chapter in a long fic about 2 female Padawans named Serra Keto (who was in Anakin's class and was a rival of his) and Bene. It was something I thought up when I played the episode 3 videogame with Serra in the one level. **

A Far Green Country…

_**Pippin: "It's so quiet." Gandalf: It's the deep breath before the plunge.  
Pippin: I don't want to be in a battle. But waiting on the edge of one I can't escape is even worse. I didn't think it would end this way…" Gandalf: "End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain- curtain of this world rolls back, and all changes to silver glass. And then you see it." Pippin: "What? See what, Gandalf? Gandalf: "White shores, and beyond…The far green country under a swift sunrise…" Pippin: "Well, that isn't so bad…" Gandalf : "No…No, it isn't." **_

Serra Keto was in the Room of a Thousand Fountains meditating, her legs crossed and her back straight. Her bright green eyes were closed and her face serene. She suddenly felt a wave of cold and dread unlike anything she'd experienced before. Her brow furrowed as she reaches out with the Force, trying to discover the source of the disturbance. She seemed to hear a rhythmic sound, like the marching of thousands of booted feet, and then a dark presence accompanied by a rhythmic wheeze like a machine breathing. Serra supposed it was something having to do with the war effort on one of the thousands of worlds.  
Her concentration was abruptly broken when her comlink beeped. She yanked it from her belt irritably, responding "Padawan Kato here…" Her master, Cin Drallig's strained voice responded "Serra, the Temple is under attack. Go to the Council chamber and protect the younglings right away". Serra was speechless for a moment, wondering how anyone could bring any kind of invasion force right into the Temple . She knew that fewer Jedi were stationed there than usual, but thought that surely Master Drallig was still overestimating the danger…Serra responded "Shouldn't I fight alongside you?" Cin Drallig responded "Serra, go protect the younglings. You know as well as I do that they're completely undefended." He paused for a moment to listen to someone else and then said wearily "This is an enemy we cannot defeat. May the Force be with you" in a tone that Serra had never heard before but she knew instantly he was really saying goodbye. It sent a chill down her spine. She stood and squared her shoulders and walked from the room.

As she got to the hall, she began hearing screams, and what sounded like blaster fire. Serra put her hand on the hilt of her green-bladed lightsaber and ran towards the sounds, using her Force-enhanced speed to run faster. She gasped as she saw the soldiers of the 501st Clone Trooper Legion shooting at a group of Padawans Whie and Bene's age. She briefly wondered where Bene was now and if she's already dead. She wondered how the clones can kill Jedi, or even why they are, the Clones were supposed to be loyal to the Republic and the Jedi were their generals. Serra heard the words a dying female Jedi told her at Geonosis, "Remember, no matter who says what, the important thing is to understand what needs to be done, and then do it. No matter how hard it is, or how much pain you feel. It's as simple as that, really. Once you know what you have to do, you just do it..." Serra felt the same hopelessness she did in the Geonosis Arena as the Knight died in front of her, but she fought it back and squared her shoulders resolutely as a black shape strode into view.  
Serra, remembering how Master Drallig told her to protect the younglings at all costs and also how he said they couldn't defeat this enemy, quickly ducked into the nearest doorway, hoping to hide until the dark figure passed and then continue on the the Council Chambers to protect the younglings. She realized she had ducked into the Jedi Briefing Room, which they used to plan their missions and hear about the progress of other Jedi missions. Serra stayed hidden in the shadows by the stairs, using the Force to slow her breathing down and make it quieter so she wouldn't be found. She finally thought the danger had passed and peeked out the doorway, only to come face to face with Anakin Skywalker, who grinned mockigly at her and said in a condescending tone "So Serra, Cin Drallig's greatest pupil has come to greet me..." and swept his lightsaber in a glowing blue arc towards her in a move that Serra swiftly parried with her own brilliant green blade, just like she had done in countless training duels with Anakin. Anakin looked almost tired.. But somehow Serra knew this was no joke. Anakin was leading the clone troopers in the attack and he was going to show no mercy.

Serra was now in a battle for her life against a fellow Padawan she had taken classes with and trained with since she was 8. She had thought of him as a rival, but she never dreamed it would come to this. She neatly parried another strike and locked lightsabers, staring between the crossed blades into Anakin's blue eyes which now seemed hard and had a hint of yellow about them. Anakin shoved her away hard and his lips tightened. She thought "Once you know what you have to do, you just do it..." She decided to try a new strategy that she had learned as a child during Yoda's supervised mock duels with students her age. Serra began leaping from step to step as she fought, hoping to use the uneven footing to throw her opponent off balance so she could land a killing blow and end this quickly. Anakin matched her step for step, leap for leap. Serra decided to use her sharp wit and tongue that had often matched that of her adversary to taunt him, hoping his annoyance might affect him enough that he would make a mistake. She knew this method would be frowned upon by the Council but she was already known for being rebellious anyways, and the way things were going she had nothing left to lose. She remembered Yoda's often repeated advice as if he were in the room "Do, or do not, there is no try." She mentally gave a nod of thanks to the Master. She suddenly spoke over the buzz and clash of the lightsabers "Anakin, I can feel you fear, aren't you supposed to be 'The Hero With No Fear' or something?" Anakin curled his lips and spoke menacingly in a hate filled, almost unrecognizable voice "That name no longer has any meaning for me. It's Darth Vader, or Lord Vader to you." Serra grinned "I thought you wanted to be the best in everything. You certainly seemed to think you already knew everything. So why would you stoop to being the second best to a man who doesn't even have the courage to show himself?" Anakin, she mentally reminded herself he was "Vader" now, snarled "I wouldn't expect you to understand, you're already second best". Serra said cooly "At least I'm not a fool." She disengaged her green blade from his, mentally noting it was still the same blue one he had always used and reached out a hand and called another lightsaber to her free hand from a Padawan lying near the open door, dead. She ignited it and began fighting with both green blades in her favored Niman combat style, using her left to defend herself and her favored right hand to mount her own attacks. For a few moments all that could be heard in the dim, otherwise silent room were the buzz and clash of the 3 lightsabers. Serra felt that no one was gaining ground yet, but that she was destined to lose as she always had before with this adversary. She felt herself rapidly tiring and realized the younglings were still undefended. She knew the troops could find them at any time. She used the Force to topple a pillar at the edge of the room between herself and Vader, hoping the dust would obscure his vision so he wouldn't see what she was going to do next. Rallying all her strength, she made a Force-aided leap for the high obsevation balcony ringing the room. Vader wasn't impeded as she had hoped and swiftly jumped after her to continue the battle. The fight continued for a few more minutes, but Serra knew all hope was lost and her attacks were no longer having any sort of effect.

Suddenly, Lord Vader raised a hand and Serra dimly heard a rumbling sound over the buzzing of the lightsabers. One of the heavy pillars that had been nearby crashed onto her, driving her to the floor. She felt an instant of shock as she fell onto her side, but none of the pain she hazily thought she'd feel, only a sense of cold. She knew then that her wounds were fatal. She knew from classes that the painful wounds are the ones you'll survive. She thought dimly "So this is the end" as Skywalker leapt from the balcony and strode on, cutting down a male Padawan who had run into the room with the same intent to hide as she had. She watched him fall heavily onto the floor below the observation balcony. She reached out one hand towards the body, knowing he was already dead. Serra couldn't summon the strength to get up or reach out to him with the Force, and she felt the disturbance in the Force as more Jedi were cut down around her. The screams seemed to be growing fainter and the dim hallway she could see through the open doorway faded in and out of focus, her breathing getting shallower, with the rasping that indicated her ribs were broken. Lord Vader paused one more time to look at Serra on the balcony, she couldn't tell if it was a look of trumphant gloating or a apologetic glance, then he was gone, heading to find the younglings Serra was supposed to protect. With a great effort she tried to stand up, wanting to find her master, but she only managed to curl her crushed legs closer to her stomach. She finally realized the effort was futile and stopped moving, put her head down. She recited the Jedi code to herself, knowing she had a few seconds left .  
_"There is no emotion; there is peace.  
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.  
There is no passion; there is serenity.  
There is no chaos; there is harmony.  
There is no death; there is the Force" _

23 year old Serra Keto took one final labored breath and closed her green eyes one last time. She smiled, knowing that she had given it her best and in a way she had finally defeated Anakin by understanding something he never did. She would now be one with the Force and found that she was not afraid. She wondered about her Master and Bene and repeated to herself, "There is no death; there is the Force" before finally succumbing to the darkness. The world faded away and there was only the light of the Force.

**Disclaimer: The Pippin and Gandalf quote and the chapter title is from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. The quote "Remember, no matter who says what, the important thing is to understand what needs to be done, and then do it. No matter how hard it is, or how much pain you feel. It's as simple as that, really. Once you know what you have to do, you just do it..." is from a book by Persia Woolley called "Child of the Northern Spring, it was Queen Guinevere of Britain mother's last words to her daughter**


End file.
